Court threat to convent owners

The owners of a former convent, once earmarked for a multi-million euro redevelopment, will be taken to court if they refuse to make it safe.

Cork County Council has issued a deadline of Oct 27 to have the former Presentation Convent in Mitchelstown secured, otherwise it will seek a court order compelling them to do so.

Council officials said they had previously issued warning notices under the Derelict Sites Act (1990) to make the building safe, but had received no reply.

In 2007, the council unanimously adopted a Material Contravention of the County Development Plan to allow Irish & European Properties Ltd planning permission for a major redevelopment of the convent that included an underground cinema and 52 apartments.

But the company later went into receivership and the property has been vandalised.

Council officials have been chasing the company, the receiver and an unnamed individual under the terms of the Derelict Sites Act, but as yet to no avail.

At a meeting in Mallow yesterday, Cllr Frank O’Flynn (FF), who is chairman of the council’s northern division, said he was seriously concerned on health and safety grounds about the state of the property.

He said that if nothing was forthcoming from the three parties by the Oct 27 deadline the council should move into the site to make it safe and then go after those involved to recoup the money needed to do this.

Acting assistant county manager Tom Stritch said the council was “following procedure” in terms of what it could do under the Derelict Sites Act.

“If no progress is made [by Oct 27] we can go to the courts. We are anxious to have it resolved. It’s extremely disappointing what’s happened to this heritage building,” Mr Stritch said.